Electric railway.



. PATBNTED APR. 19, 1904.

G. H. FRBTTS. A ELECTRIC. RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

NO- 757,906. PATENTEDAPR, 19, 1904.

GI Hi I ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET UNITED STATES Patented. April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,906, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed July 14, 1903. Serial No. 165,486. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, GEORGE H. FRETTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to electric railways, and particularly to a novel form of.

electrically-operated trolley-switch therefor.

The object of the invention is in a ready, simple, thoroughly feasible and practical manner and with obviation of sparking or breaking of the circuit to effect switchingof a trolley from a main conductor to a side conductor and to place the mechanism positively under control of the motorman.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists, generally stated, in a switch-plate suspended from the trolley wires or conductors, a switchtongue, and a solenoid-magnet having its core connected by interposed mechanism with the tongue, said magnet being normally deenergized, but energized to perform its function when the trolley passes from the conductor to the switch-plate and'only when the motor on the car is operating. The switch-plate has insulated terminals to which the conductors are connected, and tapped into the main conductor adjacent to one of the insulated terminals is a wire, the other end of which connects with one of the terminals of the winding of the magnet, the other terminal being connected with the switch plate. By this arrangement when the trolley wheel passes from the conductor to the switch-plate the circuit is completed through the magnet, causing its core to lift and through the interposed mechanism above mentioned to swing the switch-tongue to position to allow the trolley to pass onto the main conductor at the opposite end of the switch-plate; but where it is desired to have the trolley pass through a side wireas, for instance, when the car turns off on another street-the motorman cuts off the current to the motor, so that the magnet is not energized, the normal position of the tongue being such as to allow the trolley to pass from the main to the side wire. Any suitable means, such as a spring or a weight, may be employed to cause automatic return of the core of the magnet to its normal position; but in this instance the force of gravity is employed for this purpose, it being understood that the magnet will be of large size,an'd its core will be of sufficient weight to effect antomatic return of the switch-tongue to its normal position when the magnet has become deenergized.

Further and more detailed construction will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

-In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it-being understoodthat the elementsstherein exhibited may be varied as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in plan of thetrolley-switch of this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the trolley-switch, taken to one side of the switch-tongue.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the switch-plate, the same when viewed in plan being approximately trapezoidal and provided along its edges with depending flanges 2, the function of which is to prevent the trolleywheel from becoming disengaged from the plate and also in conjunction with the switchtongue 3 to guide the trolley-wheel onto the appropriate conductor. At each end of the plate there is secured a block of suitable insulating material 4:, and secured to this insulation and terminating short of the ends of the switch-plate are the main conductor 5 and the side or switch conductor 6, it being seen that by this arrangement the switch-plate is normally dead. Supported upon the plate in any suitable manner, in this instance by a series of standards 7, of which only one is shown, is a solenoid-magnet 8, the core 9 of which has its lower end bifurcated, and pivotally mounted in the crotch thus formed is the upper end of a link 10, the lower end of which has connected with it one end of an arm 11, the other end of which is rigid with a shaft 12, journaled in knees or brackets 13, secured to the upper side of the plate. Rigid with the shaft 12 at the end opposite the arm 11 v and extending at. right angles thereto is an arm 14, the lower end of which has pivotally connected with. it one end of a link 15, the other end of which is pivotally connected with a stud 16, secured to the switch-tongue 3, the said stud being movable in a slot 17, cut through the plate. The switch-tongue 3, as shown in Fig. 1, is tapered and is pivotally connected at 18 to the under side of the plate. The circuit through the solenoid is completed through conductors 18 and 19, one end of the conductor 18 being connected with one terminal of the winding of the magnet and with the plate and the conductor 19 being connected with the other terminal of the winding of the magnet and with the main conductor 5, adjacent to the insulating-block 4. As before stated, the return of the switch-tongue to its normal position is herein-shown as being effected through the weight of the core of the magnet; but this is not essential.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the conductors are disposed some distance below the under face of the switch-plate, this arrangement being adopted in order to obviate any sparking when the trolley passes from the conductor onto the plate or from the plate back to the conductor, the distance that the conductor is disposed below the under side of the plate corresponding to the distance from the base of the groove of the trolley-wheel to the periphery of the flanges thereof.

The operation of the device is as follows: As

above stated, the switch-tongue is normally in position to cause the trolleyto' pass from the main conductor to a side conductor, so that if the approaching car desires to pass to the side conductor the switch-tongue remains at rest, and this is effected by the motorman cutting off the current to the motor and permitting the trolley to coast over the switch-plate. If, however, it is intended for the trolley to remain on the main line, the motorman will allow the current to remain on the motor, and as soon as the trolley-wheel touches the switchplate the circuit is completed through the conductor 5, conductors 18 and 19, and through the solenoid-magnet, thereby energizing it and causing its core to lift, rock the shaft, and thus throw the switch to the appropriate position. As soon as the trolley passes from the plate onto the trolley-wire the magnet is deenergized and the core drops to its normal position. I

The feed-wires usually employed in trolleylines are depended upon for supplying current to the insulated sections of the line; but if these are not present the current may be conveyed around the switch-plate by a shuntcircuit 20, tapped, respectively, into the conductors 5 and 6 and looped around the switchplate, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the device of this invention will be found thoroughly eflicient and durable in use and certain in operation, the only requisite for its certain and effective actuation being the attention to duty on the part of the motorman.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is V 1. The combination of an overhead switchplate of trapezoidal form having depending flanges along its opposite edges and a flat under face to be directly engaged by a trolleywheel, a conductor leading to and insulated from the narrow end of said switch-plate, two conductors leading to and insulated from the wide end of said switch-plate, a switch-tongue pivoted upon the under side of the switchplate at the wide end thereof approximately centrally between said two conductors, a solenoid upon the switch-plate, a rock-shaft also on the switch-plate, having arms angularly disposed to each other, and linkage connections between said arms and solenoidcore and switch-tongue, the switch-plate being slotted for the connection of one of-the links with the switch-tongue.

2. The combination of a switch-plate having depending flanges, a switch-tongue supported for swinging movement between said flanges, a solenoid supported by the switchplate, a rock -shaft also supported by the switch-plate having arms, a link connecting one of said arms with the core of the solenoid, and a second link connected with the other arm, the switch-plate having a slot and the switch-tongue having a lug passing through said slot and connected with said second link.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesess.

GEORGE H. FRETTS.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. LEIB, F. G. BURNHAM. 

